The growth and competition in the casino gaming market in recent years and the increasingly sophisticated and complex technology being integrated into the gaming environment, at the individual game, casino management, and auditing levels, presents both challenges and opportunities to game manufacturers, gaming establishment operators, and regulatory agencies. The technological capabilities and requirements of, for example, advanced electronic games, multi-site gaming operations, detailed player tracking, wide area progressive jackpots, and various alternatives to the use of currency and coins by players, all present a potentially huge pool of ever-changing data which can be of great value to casino operators (from a management standpoint) and to regulators from an audit/compliance standpoint.
Players may also be given an incentive through a player tracking club. Usually, a player is identified during play by a player tracking ID card and/or a player identification number (PIN). The player tracking system tracks the player's play and awards player tracking points according to established criteria. The player tracking points may be redeemed for prizes, such as complimentary meals or merchandise.
Typically, the player tracking system is accessed at a gaming machine, such as a slot machine, via a player tracking device or unit. Such device is commonly equipped with one or more speakers which are used to emit sounds associated with the player tracking system.
The gaming machines, such as mechanical reel slots and/or video slots, have one or more speakers which are used to emit sounds which are related to the game played on the gaming machine. Sounds may be played through the gaming machine's speakers both while a game is being played and while the game is not being played. These gaming machines are typically arranged in groups of similar machines or those from the same manufacturer, i.e., banks of machines. Additionally, the banks of machines may be located in a defined area or areas of a casino, i.e., zones. With a large number of the gaming machines grouped in a large number of banks, wherein each gaming machine emits sounds through its speakers, and wherein each gaming machine has a player tracking device emitting sounds through its own speaker(s), it may become very difficult to distinguish sounds from one of the aforementioned gaming machines or one of the player tracking devices from others.
United States Patent Application Publication No. 2004/0142747 to Pryzby, for example, shows a wagering gaming system comprising a gaming terminal and a sound processing system. The gaming terminal conducts a wagering game and a player is allowed to select sound preferences in connection with the wagering game. A touch panel displays a sound preferences button which has a menu including a sound field effect button, a system sounds button, a speaker settings button, and a volume settings button. The wagering gaming system allows anyone to raise and/or lower the sound, which creates numerous problems, when, for example, another players at the adjacent gaming terminal are uncomfortable by the level of sound or have difficulties to hear the broadcast of various general message, such as, for example, an emergency message.
Furthermore, United States Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0261063 to Boyd shows a content manager feature including global controls, e.g., volume and display contrast across the entire floor. As best illustrated in FIG. 11, the sequence for adjusting the global volume parameter for a group of machines. A user would position the cursor at the configuration workstation and click on the global volume item on the General settings list. A drop down menu would then be presented with several selectable values for global volume. A setting of ‘Level 0’ signifies no sound and ‘Level 7’ signifies a maximum volume level with ‘Level 3’ being the default. Selection of the specified volume and then clicking on the ‘Export’ button configures and transmits a file to the proper gaming machines which adjust the volume of the gaming machine appropriate to the instruction(s) contained within the received. It is important to know that the user is located at an isolated and pre-determined position substantially away from the gaming machines. Moreover, the user does not hear the sound of the gaming machines as the volume is adjusted and has to rely on the aforementioned selection of the specified volume.
In addition, the U.S. Pat. No. 6,805,633 to Hein et al. shows a system and method for automatically adjusting the sound volume of a gaming machine based on the ambient noise level to an appropriate level. The gaming machine may implement an open loop control algorithm when the machine's sound output is inactive as determined, e.g., by software, or by analyzing samples from a soundboard. A closed loop control algorithm may be implemented when the gaming machine is active. Alternatively, the machine may implement only an open loop algorithm that provides volume adjustment only when the machine's sound output is inactive, in which case the adjusted volume is maintained through an active period, then adjusted again at the next inactive period. Saturation back off feature prevents the sound level of the gaming machine from escalating to, and remains at, a maximum, saturation level. Similarly to the wagering gaming system taught by the United States Patent Application Publication No. 2004/0142747 to Pryzby, this system and method for automatically adjusting the sound volume of the gaming machine allows the player but not a casino attendant to raise the sound, which creates numerous problems, when, for example, another players at the adjacent gaming terminal are uncomfortable by the level of sound or have difficulties to hear the broadcast of various general message, such as, for example, an emergency message.
Alluding to the above, U.S. Pat. No. 5,242,163 to Fulton shows a casino game system which allows a person playing a first gaming device, such as a video gaming device, to play a conventional group oriented game. e.g. bingo, without leaving the first gaming device. A control station is placed in communication with the gaming devices. The sound generating means of the plurality of gaming devices is responsive to the control station such that the volume of the sound corresponding to the first game can be reduced at the beginning of a bingo session, in response to a signal from the control station. The control station is isolated from the gaming devices. An operator positioned at the control station and away from the gaming devices and has to rely on the aforementioned sound generating means.
But even, if it is practicable, there is a constant need for improvements in the area of system and method for controlling a volume associated with a gaming machine. The present invention is aimed at one or more of the problems as set forth above.